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And if that's grammatically correct, how many other words can possibly be created, with perfect grammatical accuracy, with two apostrophes?
It's so cool that I want to use it as much as possible, but I kinda want to make sure that it's a completely original concept.
it works cuz its a contraction and it's possessive
Y'all's doesn't make sense. It's like saying you all's. Is y'all actually even a real word / contraction? And it's already plural, so adding "s" is sort of redundant. Unless that's a possessive apostrophe, in which case whatever ... it's still kind of silly to use at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Martyr
I hate that contraction. I pretend it doesn't exist.
DOES it exist? I've never seen Y'all in a dictionary, let alone y'all's.Quote:
Originally Posted by Momiji
This is upsetting.
It's not technically a real word, but it's used in the southern U.S a LOT. And when it IS used, it means "you all", so using "Y'all's" would refer to a group of people being spoken to who have something in common.
So:
"OMG! Look at y'all's blood all over the ground! Eww!"
(yes, that was the best example I could think of)
Edit: It's really in the dictionary??? Sweet.
It's in the dictionary and it sickens me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Momiji
"Hey, what are all of you doing in my house?"
"Hey, what're y'all doin' in my house?"
the latter sounds like something you would hear more often in today's conversation, whether it be in the south (not where it originated, btw) or in Canada, and it is still a real word. not just something a bunch of rednecks in Louisiana and/or Texas use all the time. Which they don't; stereotype, nothing more. And y'all's is only when describing something that belongs to a group of people that you are currently addressing, e.g. "Is this y'all's table, or can I move it out of the living room to bring in the sofa?"
...Or something along those lines.
y'alls' books are cluttering up the kitchen.
I like to make double contractions like wouldn't've
I don't think I've ever heard another Canadian say "y'all." Like ever, eh?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloud Strife777
Even though I type and write "you" or "all of you," I think and say "y'all." It's in my blood! =O
Many other languages have a second person plural pronoun. There are many situations in which the use of a second person plural pronoun would greatly increase the clarity of a statement. The ability to differentiate clearly between a single individual and a group of individuals in this manner is invaluable. As a result, many people in certain geographical areas have adopted the use of y'all or, alternatively, yous.
I don't see a problem with it. Language is not static, and if it's something that the English language lacks, there's no reason not to add it.
I'd've found a better example. "Y'all's" is redneck talk.
Living in Texas for 16 years has me saying Y'all.
Usually I say "You guys" or something of that nature. I hardly say Y'all's though.
"Y'all" may be in the dictionary, but both "y'all's" and "y'alls'" are gramatically incorrect. Adding "'s" to a word is used either to show posession or to contract the word with "is". Clearly, "You all is going to a movie" doesn't make sense and neither does "You all's house is nice".
In a contraction, it serves the purpose of the word "you're". In a collective context it serves the purpose of the word "your". :D
The house that you all own is nice.
The house that Mike owns is nice.
The house that y'all own is nice.
The house that he owns is nice.
Y'all's house is nice.
His house is nice.
I think officially, it's grammatically a nightmare. And by officially I mean prescriptively.
Descriptively however? Yeah, I think that's pretty common.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of the double apostrophe there. I'm all for wouldn't've though.
Actually, I don't think that y'all's should exist at all. As a possessive, it would be "you all's." Just doesn't sound right, does it? The plural of you is you, and the possessive form of that is your... I would just stick with that.
As a contraction, it would be "you all is." Disagreement of quantity! Y'all're seems acceptable... but it's still redneck talk >=o
"y'all" sounds so much more elegant than "you guys".
I like to say y'all and y'all's. It's really cute how people act uppity about grammar when not one single person in the entire history of Earth has ever bheen grammatically correct, though. :p
From what I can tell, and from what I understand from your (y'all's?) responses, it's perfectly understandable as a possessive word, and I like it and use it.
Also, I forgot about couldn't've, and other ideas for "not have" double contractions.
Anyway, it obviously isn't an original concept, but I think it's definitely grammatically correct, as far as I care to take grammar in my writing.
Thank you all and goodnight.
Seriously, Flying Mullet, what is your problem?